node_delete_multiple() has to use batch API [#355905]

While working on #8: Let users cancel their accounts, I discovered that we have node_mass_update() for updating many nodes in a batch, but no node_mass_delete() for deleting many nodes in a batch.

Aside from the fact that an administrator can delete many nodes using the node mass-operations on admin/content/node, the new account cancellation methods also allow administrators to delete all contents of a user. When an administrator is forced to delete a long-time user with all of his contents, then this could easily result in thousands of nodes having to be deleted.

We have two options to solve this issue:

Introduce a node_mass_delete() function, using almost the same pattern as node_mass_update() - most probably leading to almost identical/duplicated code.
Make node_mass_update() more flexible, f.e. passing array('nid' => NULL) can only mean that nodes shall be deleted.

Comment	File	Size	Author
#3	node-355905-3.patch	14.45 KB	bradfordcp

Comments

Comment #1

swentel commented 10 January 2009 at 20:01

I somehow see a third option: rename node_mass_update and _node_mass_update_helper to a more general name, because with few small code changes it should be possible to either create, update or delete a node with only one function. Saves kittens imo :)

Comment #2

jody lynn

she/her

English

commented 29 January 2009 at 19:39

Batch delete would also be useful to this issue: #362795: Delete Entire Book

Comment #3

bradfordcp commented 17 April 2009 at 06:25

Assigned:	bradfordcp	» Unassigned
Status:	Needs review	» Active

Status	File	Size
new	node-355905-3.patch	14.45 KB

This is a first attempt at creating a new mass_operation function for nodes. To summarize the patch:

Moved node_mass_update() from node.admin.inc into node.module (since this is / may be used outside of the administration page)
Changed method signature to: node_mass_operation($nodes, $op, $updates = array() This provided the flexibility needed to allow mass delete operations
Renamed and updated the appropriate helper methods that go along with performing the operations and utilizing batch API
Updated the appropriate form submission handlers to utilize the new method (these were within node and user module)